


Irresistible

by Dmnq8



Category: Naruto
Genre: Drug Use, M/M, Male Friendship, Organized Crime, Romance, Supernatural Elements, Uchihacest
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2009-11-13
Updated: 2009-11-13
Packaged: 2018-02-12 09:16:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,747
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2104065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dmnq8/pseuds/Dmnq8
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Uchiha mob boss, jaded younger brother, retired detective. Despite being on opposite sides of the law, two men find each other irresistible.</p>
<p>NaruSasu</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The nightclub appeared seedy from the outside. Located as it was in the sleazier part of town, that was perhaps appropriate. The interior was another story. Ironically named _The Back Door_ , the club was a posh, well-known location for any and all gay activity. The individuals who owned it had connections in the police department, with zoning officials and every other authority figure who might have made an issue of tearing the establishment down. If it weren't for the fact that drugs and minors were involved the man standing in the shadow of the entrance likely wouldn't even be there.

He stood still, propping up the wall with one shoulder as his sharp eyes tracked two specific individuals through the hazy blue smoke of countless cigarettes. Everything in the club was one shade of blue or another. The floor was a shiny blue dark enough to appear black in the dim lights. The leather bar stools were sky blue, the glassware a sparkling cerulean. The small glass tables were beveled marvels of ocean blue. Complexions were given the sickly pallor of corpses under blue neon lights. Still, the man knew from mug shots that the two he watched were naturally pale.

They were the owners of the club. Brothers. He had to admit, they were a striking pair, oozing power and influence. They prowled through the assorted mass of stoned, half-naked or fucking patrons with the ease of being at home. Itachi and Sasuke, the club's most dangerous predators. They availed themselves of their patrons freely. If someone appeared rich they offered them free drugs, got them hooked, and then, when the poor sorry soul was good and addicted and begging for more, they threatened to withhold the drugs or expose their activities to loved ones until more money was given.

That was only one of their hobbies. He also knew the duo liked preying on the young and innocent.

He stood where he was for quite some time, watching how they worked. Homosexuality and the way gay people interacted was new territory for him, since he wasn't gay. The snippets of conversation he heard around him were so unfathomable as to almost be another language.

"How 'bout a fifty-fifty?"

"A seventy-one first."

"I had the most amazing four-nineteen last night"

"The dude had cranberries, _honestly-_ "

"He had on this banana hammock that had me positively drooling-"

"There go the chicken snatchitori twins."

This last caught the man's attention. The one who said it had pointed with his chin to the brothers he was watching. He wondered what chicken snatchitori was and how it might pertain to his case.

The man, a detective called in specially to bring this establishment and the brothers down, had been studying them for the past year. Scum, the both of them. He watched with eyes narrowed against the smoke of his own cigarette as the older one, Itachi, reached between the legs of a well-dressed banker type. Sasuke circled the man from behind and tilted his head back for a little tongue action. The banker moaned loud enough for the detective to hear him over the loud thump of the tuneless techno music. He stubbed his cigarette out against the wall as he straightened up. He'd watch a little longer before making his move against them.

* * *

"My brother wants to thank you for the hefty deposit you made to our bank account," Sasuke whispered to the man, who actually was a banker. "How many clients at your job did you steal from to come up with such an amount?"

The man writhed as Itachi's mouth sucked his exposed cock strongly. "A-a few…oh, my gosh!"

Sasuke held the man down as he emptied quickly and noisily into his brother's talented mouth. No staying power at all. The fuck was married, a closet cross-dresser, definitely here without his wife's knowledge. It disgusted him to touch such a loser, but Itachi liked keeping the wealthy ones happy. Sasuke was content to oblige.

Itachi straightened up from the nearly unconscious man and licked his lips ostentatiously. Sasuke released the guy, letting him slump against his small indigo blue table. He turned, surveying the crowd for more interesting entertainment-

He stopped. His eyes widened, taking him in.

Carefully cut blonde hair that was artfully disarrayed. The body, though. It was hot, even seen from a distance. Sasuke found himself edging closer, his strides long and sinuous, his body undulating in the practiced yet unconscious way it did when he was hunting. He stood a few feet behind the guy, assessing him.

Young. Very young, probably not even legal yet.

Rich. That suit had been tailored in Italy or Sasuke was Shirley Temple.

The kid was sitting at the bar, his foot jigging nervously up and down. He was downing one mug of frothy beer after another, clearly tense. This made sense to Sasuke; he'd never seen the kid in here before and first-timers were always nervous. Already smiling in anticipation of using the boy's nerves against him, Sasuke reached out a slim hand, grasped the thick shoulder and boldly spun him around on his bar stool.

Time stood still _._

It wasn't attraction. It was more than that. It was like…recognition. _I know this kid,_ Sasuke thought illogically. _I've met him a thousand times, in a thousand places, a thousand scenarios. We've met again and again and again. Sometimes we're enemies, sometimes friends, sometimes lovers. I know him. I_ know _him. I know him, IknowhimIknowhimIkno-_

He'd never seen the kid before in his life.

"Who are you?" Sasuke asked in a shaking voice. His whole body shook. His hand still rested on that shoulder, and everything inside him boiled in agitated remembrance.

_What?! Remember what? What do I remember, I've never seen this fuck before in my-_

_-oi, teme!-_

Sasuke blinked. No one had ever called him that. Yet the voice had been hoarse, scratchy, and talking to him, reaching across the expanse of time. He knew if or when the kid in front of him spoke he would sound like that voice.

Impossible. _I'm losing my mind._

"Who am _I_? You're the one grabbing me and staring at me like I have seventeen heads and all of them are speaking Greek…hey…you okay? Hey!"

Sasuke was sagging toward a faint. That voice was just like the one in his mind. How could that be?

The kid caught him easily, sat him on the stool next to his. He fanned Sasuke's face energetically. Sasuke got a whiff of the kid's expensive cologne. _Boucheron, Pour Homme._ The kid reeked of money.

He was also dazzlingly beautiful, despite his odd facial hair. Sasuke - jaded, disillusioned, so experienced that sex and looks had ceased to have all meaning for him - was left consciously trying to draw air into his lungs. This was not an exaggeration. The act, something his body performed without thought, now required a considerable amount of concentration. His lungs had seized up at meeting the kid's expression. Now they unlocked themselves and Sasuke was able to suck in a convulsive breath at last. Instead of helping, it only served to intensify the waves of dizziness that had cropped up. The kid's looks and the weird remembrance of something that had never happened left Sasuke feeling seriously unbalanced. "You-" he said in a strained voice.

"Yes?" the kid asked Sasuke. His gaze was curious.

He couldn't speak. Embarrassing. He had to drop his forehead into one hand as he blindly signaled the bartender for a stiff drink. Jesus, his head was spinning. Eyes closed, he heard a shot glass set down by his elbow. Sasuke groped for it, found it, downed it, grunted as the whiskey burned red fire down his throat. Better. He opened one eye, breathed through his nose for a few moments and decided he didn't remember anything. He'd had a brief episode, that was all.

"Are you all right?"

It was the kid speaking. Sasuke took his time answering, wanting to brace himself before facing him again. When he did turn to speak to the kid, he had his cool shell of indifference firmly in place.

"Yes, thank you," Sasuke drawled. "I'm fine."

The kid nodded jerkily, the worry in his eyes being replaced with his former nerves. Sasuke studied those blue eyes. He could tell they were naturally blue and not artificially so from the club's interior. The eyes darted here and there, never resting in any one place for long. Sasuke's gaze dropped lower, skimming over the wool suit, the tight black T-shirt beneath it. The kid was pure, grade A beef.

Sasuke brought his gaze back up, not interested in what he was packing between his legs just yet. He wanted to know what it was about his face that had him nearly fainting a few minutes ago. Why he felt such powerful recognition. "You're new here," he said.

"Huh? Oh, yeah…sort of asked to come here by some friends." The kid chewed peanuts, quaffed Budweisers. His leg was jigging up and down again.

Sasuke was beginning to relax, his old cloak of superiority falling around him to obscure his previous discomfort. He leaned toward the blonde a bit. "What's your name?"

_-Naruto-_

A blue glance. "Naruto. Yours?"

Sasuke's budding smile froze on his face. _How did I know his name before he said it?_ He put it firmly from his mind, signaled for another drink."Sasuke. Uchiha Sasuke." He stressed his family name, waiting for the usual expression of fear and awe to swarm over the kid's features. Everyone knew the Uchiha name. They were the oldest, richest mob family in the country.

"Good to meet you."

Nothing. The kid only asked for another beer and more nuts. Both were set before him. Sasuke frowned. Naruto didn't seem interested in striking up a conversation, either. Sasuke was not used to being ignored. Every patron who deigned to enter the club knew who he and his brother were. They either kissed ass to try and score drugs or did so to avoid displeasing an Uchiha. They didn't ignore a blatant invitation from one. Never.

Still, Sasuke didn't get up just yet. Naruto's sleeve drew back as he downed another beer and Sasuke caught sight of a Blancpain 1735. Impressive.

* * *

Itachi's attention had been caught by some man staring at him from where he stood against the wall. He stared back for a moment, wondering what the guy wanted. He didn't have the look Itachi associated with users, was not cheking out the assortment of flesh around him... in fact did not look as if he belonged there at all. He looked like a thug with his tall muscular body and worn leather jacket. Itachi signaled his security with a casual glance. He saw them move toward the man; he would be dead within the hour. No one made threats to an Uchiha, even silent ones.

He turned and found his brother having a conversation with someone Itachi could tell was rich as Croesus even from where he stood. He sauntered over for a closer look.

"-friends dared me to stay here till this placed closed. Told me to 'go with the flow', whatever that means. Hey, doesn't that thing hurt?"

It was the blond speaking. He gestured toward the tight leather shorts Sasuke was wearing. Itachi saw his brother shift, giving the blond a better view of his basket. "Not at all," Sasuke said easily. "But if you'd care to relieve me of them…"

Itachi saw the blond avert his gaze quickly to down another mug of beer. Perfect; young, rich and green. Hopefully stupid as well. Itachi grinned and slid to the stool on the blonde's right. "Sasuke, dear, who's this?"

Sasuke had seen his brother strolling up from the corner of his eye. Naruto turned to look at him and Sasuke mouthed 'winner' to his brother behind the blonde's shoulder. Out loud he said. "This is Naruto. Naruto, my brother, Itachi. We own this and many other establishments around town."

Naruto looked this brother over quickly. Least he had clothes on. His black evening attire was vastly preferable to what Sasuke had on which were those painful-looking shorts and a leather choker and that was it. The choker had a small red and white fan hanging from it, a fan that Naruto noticed was also on the large pinky ring Itachi wore. "'Sup," he said to Sasuke's brother. Itachi looked like he had nearly ten years on Sasuke.

Sasuke went on to explain how Naruto was new in town and had been more or less bribed to come here and 'experience something new.' Itachi could tell Sasuke was very interested in the kid. He guessed the kid could be no more than sixteen, if that. He was of average height, built nicely, though not bulky. Probably played some kind of youthful sport. A quick check of Naruto's hands dispelled that idea. They were manicured. Gym rat, then. The important thing was that he was young and rich, a rare combination. Itachi generally preferred young ones since they were so easy to manipulate. It was hard to find anyone wealthy below the age of forty. But here was the perfect blend of youth and wealth. Itachi intended to have him.

"Sasuke, where are your manners? Didn't you offer your new friend some refreshment?"

Naruto held his mug up. "I'm cool-"

A razor thin man wearing a latex thong materialized at Itachi's elbow. The server bent, offering the small silver tray he held to Naruto. Naruto looked at the offerings.

"What's that?" he asked.

"I'd like you to meet Tina," Itachi said with a small smile.

Naruto's eyes shot up in alarm. "No shit! That's _meth_?"

"You never tried it?" Sasuke asked.

"Nah. I don't use."

"A shame," Itachi murmured. He popped one of the small white crystals. He held Naruto's wide blue gaze as he leaned forward and cupped the back of his neck. He whispered hotly into Naruto's ear. "Care to come upstairs with us for some bonobo?"

Naruto had stiffened at the touch. He frowned now. "Huh?"

Sasuke leaned in from the other side. "He means would you like to come upstairs to our private rooms and have some fun."

Naruto didn't agree, but he didn't disagree either. He got up and walked behind Sasuke to a set of silver spiral stairs at the back of the club. Two armed guards stood at the foot of the stairs and another pair waited to either side of the steel door at the top. Naruto noticed the weaponry. He saw Itachi lean close to a retinal scanner next to the door. The door slid open to reveal a world of black walls, white carpets and mirrored surfaces.

* * *

Naruto found himself in a living room that tapered into a mirrored hall. Sasuke continue to lead the way until they came to a bedroom that was entirely black. It featured a large circular bed, a pole and many items hanging from the walls. A closer look showed the items to be whips, crops, gags, cuffs and-

"Um…I …think I should go. I probably shouldn't even be here, my mom might be worried about me." Naruto raised his trembling hand, looked at his eight-hundred thousand dollar watch. "Geez, it's after one, I was supposed to be home by-"

"Naruto, relax," Sasuke purred. "We're not going to bite."

"But-"

"How about you just watch for now?" Itachi said. He walked over to Sasuke and wrapped his arms loosely around him.

Naruto didn't really have much choice. He couldn't get out that steel door unless he was let out.

He didn't even know why he'd allowed himself to be brought up here. He and his friends had never discussed him fucking anyone from this club. He didn't much like the idea of watching these two brothers fuck, either.

But he _had_ let himself be led up here. And he was honest enough with himself to realize it had everything to do with Sasuke.

He'd hid it well, or so he believed, but Naruto had felt a punch of deep, elemental attraction when he'd turned around on his stool to face the guy. There had been a few moments there when they'd both stared at each other. He knew his face had been shocked, maybe even panicked. He was straight. But here was this person with tastefully cut hair in blue-black layers, his large eyes looking right into Naruto's soul…then Sasuke had asked who he was and the spell had been broken. He'd been able to hide his reaction to Sasuke's beauty behind conversation and his appreciation of the ice-cold beer the bar served.

But that was all bullshit. Because no matter how attracted he was to this fag he was not going to be having sex with him or anyone. That wasn't part of the deal.

* * *

Sasuke unzipped his shorts himself, revealing an average cock and a set of plump pink balls. He watched Naruto with a smile as Itachi swallowed this offering without preamble. Sasuke kicked his shorts off idly, seemingly unaffected by what his brother was doing. He rested a hand on Itachi's head, fondling his ponytail. It was as his eyes ran up and down Naruto's body that Sasuke's member began to harden. His lips parted and his breathing deepened. Naruto watched apprehensively as Sasuke eventually pushed Itachi away to come over to Naruto. His wet cock swung stiffly with each step.

Sasuke was used to his brother's touch. It was no longer exciting. Sex itself held little interest for him these days. Itachi was the horny one. Then again, Itachi was hooked on meth. He himself didn't touch the stuff. Other things stimulated him. Generally, it was Itachi who went for these young types. Sasuke just played along out f boredom. But whoever he was, Naruto called to everything in Sasuke. His body hummed in excitement, real _excitement_ at being near the blonde. Sasuke couldn't remember the last time he'd felt like this around anyone. The voice called to mind a sense, dim and distant, of incredible intimacy shared between them. The kind of intimacy Sasuke always shied away from. The kind of intimacy attained only through years of being in love or blood spilt or battles fought side by side. Nonsense. _I can't be in love with someone I've never met. I don't even believe in love._ These things swirled in his mind as he stepped up to Naruto's hyperventilating, cringing body.

* * *

Naruto had nowhere to go. His back was to the wall as Sasuke, eyes shining with hunger, leaned in to kiss him. He hoped Sasuke thought he was nervous. If he knew Naruto was breathing like a runaway train from anticipation, who knew how far this shit would go-

Sasuke's lips touched his and Naruto thought _I know this touch…these lips._ Then thought was gone.

* * *

The blood just wouldn't stop gushing. Kiba pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to staunch the flow as he leaned against the wreck of a Honda he and his partner had used for tonight. He checked his watch. The ass had better make an appearance quickly or I'm leaving him to find his own way back to headquarters, Kiba thought. The way his partner looked he'd be easy prey for this particular neighborhood.

Then again, maybe not. The jerk was a fighting genius, among other things. Besides, Kiba didn't have the keys.

His nose finally stopped leaking. He straightened when the club door slammed open and his partner came striding out angrily.

Scratch that. His partner looked scared. As if the hounds of hell were nipping at his heels.

"What-" Kiba began.

"Shut up and get in the Christing car," Naruto spat.

Kiba hurried to obey; Naruto was already twisting the key savagely in the ignition. Kiba barely got his leg in and the door closed before the car was peeling rubber out of the garbage-strewn alley behind the club.

He watched Naruto as he drove in silence. Fuming silence. When Kiba deemed it was safe, he ventured a question. "Success?"

"Depends. They definitely peddle meth on the premises, contrary to what Itachi's told countless judges. I showed my ID to the guys at the entrance and they let me right on through, so I know they deliberately let minors in. I made that ID with crayon. _Purple_ crayon."

"So we got 'em, then!"

"Not quite. He offered me the meth but didn't push. And he didn't slip any into my drinks. I made it easy for him, kept swilling the shit."

"And yet you seem sober."

"High tolerance," Naruto muttered. He swerved to avoid a bag lady and jumped the curb in front of the station they were both working out of. He was out of the car before it had fully stopped. Kiba ran to keep up.

"So, what more do we need?"

"For starters, we need-" Naruto got a glance at Kiba's face under the harsh fluorescent lighting. "What happened to you?"

"Good of you to finally notice. Itachi had his goons rough me up some. They actually pulled a gun on me."

"And?"

Kiba grinned in a distinctly canine way. Naruto shuddered. The goons were probably history.

Inuzuka Kiba was an old friend. They'd both been cops, had made detective together, though Naruto had retired when his dad had died five years ago. He'd moved off to Tokyo, while Kiba had stayed in their home town. He'd heard rumors that the Uchiha mob boss now lived in the same town, but hadn't realized how much of it he'd taken over until Kiba called him one day last year. He'd requested Naruto's express help in taking down Itachi and his brother.

"Can't be done," Naruto had said. "Too sneaky and powerful."

"It can if you help me. Dude, you were the department's top detective, how can you just turn your back on all that?" Kiba's voice had been plaintive.

In the end, he'd agreed. He had nothing better to do.

Kiba said Naruto was the perfect bait. He was richer than God and looked a good ten years younger than he actually was. Naruto was forced to agree; If they were going to entrap the Uchihas they would need to prey upon their weakness for young meat and wealthy individuals.

Naruto stepped into the dingy elevator as he resumed where he'd left off. Kiba punched the button for the third floor. "We need to catch him slipping drugs to a minor or having sex with a minor. If he really wants me, he'll have to get me hooked on that shit or there won't be any reason for me to come back. I have to admit, I really expected him to push me harder tonight. Maybe I blew my cover?"

"You were amazing. That whole nervous schoolboy act was unbelievable. I saw some of it before those assholes tried to end me."

Naruto suddenly remembered something. "What's chicken snatchitori? And bonobo?"

Kiba snorted. "No clue. Google it."

"I need to go back there."

"For sure. What happened, anyway? You were in there a long time."

They were now at Kiba's desk. It was cluttered with papers and files. A few other detectives waved wearily on their way to the coffee machine or from where they sat before their computers. Naruto perched on Kiba's desk, one handmade leather loafer swinging. His face grew red, Kiba was interested to note.

Naruto didn't even want to think about what had happened…but he did anyway.

* * *

_Beneath the shocking familiarity of Sasuke's mouth was the slow, uncurling heat of Naruto's awakening arousal. His pants grew tight with it, his palms sweaty. Sasuke had him by maybe an inch, but Naruto was definitely the stronger of the two. Yet he let Sasuke anchor him against the wall with his slight frame as his head slanted and his tongue entered Naruto's mouth. He could feel Sasuke's hot hands on his chest, one knee coming up to part his thighs. Naruto felt one hand drop to unzip his trousers, slip down around his erection…_

_He twisted away from the kiss, stammering incoherencies as he zipped himself back up and ran for the door. Itachi let him leave, inviting him to come back anytime he wished. Naruto had heard his high laughter as he nearly broke his neck getting down the spiral stairs._

* * *

 "Nothing. Had to take a shit," he told Kiba. Lying to your partner probably wasn't the wisest thing to do, but Naruto would think about that later. When he'd figured out why he'd been swapping spit with a guy and letting the same guy touch his dick. Ugh.

"What are you going to do when you go back? You know you can't wear a wire. Or a cam."

"Leave the electronics to me. I got some stuff, not patented yet, mind you…but I think it will get past Itachi's security. I just wish I knew why he didn't push me harder tonight."

Kiba shrugged, checked his watch. "Shit, my squash is probably all withered!" He swung to his computer, booted it up. Naruto rolled his eyes as he told him he'd see him in the morning, after a few hour's sleep. Kiba didn't answer. He was a Farmville addict the likes of which Naruto had never seen. Thank god he himself didn't use Facebook.

* * *

"Why'd you let him leave," Sasuke asked. He was stretched out on the bed, watching as Itachi inserted meth into his anus. His brother sighed before answering.

"I didn't like what I was seeing."

"And that would be?"

"You. Him. You all over him. You never get attached to anyone."

"And I'm not attached to him. I was only kissing him. You jealous, Itachi?"

Itachi took a moment before answering. "Maybe. I don't trust him. What kid comes in here and refuses Tina? Half of them come in here in hopes of scoring some for free." _And I want that kid for myself,_ Itachi thought but didn't say.

"He's just green, is all. And rich. I'd kill for that watch."

"I could buy you that watch."

"So you could." Sasuke stretched. "I want to see him again. Have your people do a search on him."

"Already did. We should know who he is by this afternoon. But there's no reason for him to come back. I don't even think he's family, Sasuke. I'd really like to know what he was doing here if he's straight and clean."

"I told you, his friends dared him."

"Sometimes," Itachi said as he moved to enter Sasuke, "you're too naïve, little brother."

_Maybe I am,_ Sasuke thought. _But you didn't feel the way he kissed me. He'll be back, all right._

Sasuke was sure of it.


	2. Chapter 2

_Sasuke smiled a small close-lipped smile. "You'll never surpass me, Dobe." Naruto tackled him, they rolled, laughed-_

_-bang, bang, bang-_

_Sasuke looked at Naruto with black, lifeless eyes. "I will never come back to Konoha. Stop chasing me, Naruto."_

_-Bang, Bang, Bang-_

_Naruto stood in the rain, shivering. The only warmth to be had was Sasuke's body, also shivering, his lips sliding wetly along Naruto's-_

* * *

 BANG, BANG, BANG.

"Will you open this sonofabitching door, man?! I know your ass is in there!" A booming bark accompanied Kiba's furious banging.

"Huh?" Naruto muttered groggily. He flailed at the blanket covering his head, got his feet tangled up in the sheets. The blanket slid off his spiky hair and the bright sunlight of almost noon hit him square in the face. He blinked, still half in the dream. Then real life came crashing back.

"Oh, shit…" Naruto scrambled out of bed and ran to plaster himself against the door that Kiba was in the process of pounding a hole through. "K-ki-hibaaah?" He yawned halfway through the name. The pounding stopped.

Naruto punched in the security code that deactivated the alarm, unlocked the door, swung it open-

"Aaaargh!"

Naruto was bowled over by a white animal roughly the size of a small grizzly bear. A wet pink tongue laved his face as Kiba's boots stopped by his head. The swearing blonde was half-drowned with dog slobber before Kiba finally called his mutt off.

"Ugh, Kiba, can't you keep that beast on a leash?" Naruto dry-heaved as he tasted dog spit. He wiped his mouth with the back of one shaking hand. Kiba looked on dispassionately.

"I've been calling you all morning," he told Naruto as he turned to walk towards the kitchen. "Thought you said you'd meet me long before now?" Kiba opened cabinets, checked the fridge. "Don't you have anything to eat?"

Naruto had picked himself up and was checking his Blackberry. Fifteen missed calls, all from Kiba. He scrubbed a hand down his face as he tried to wake himself up properly. "The fridge is stocked, what are you talking about?" He sat heavily at the kitchen island. His mind was on the dream he'd had.

Kiba appraised the wide assortment of raw meat in the fridge. It took a few minutes, but he did manage to locate some veggies in the crisper. He selected two packages of ground beef, some red bell peppers, mushrooms and scallions and set to work. Akamaru, his faithful pet, sat to one side, tongue lolling.

Naruto had a perfectly good stone mansion that belonged to him in the very same town Kiba lived in, but chose to buy this huge penthouse in the next city over and work from here; he hadn't lived in his mansion since his dad died.

The penthouse was of course opulent, like most things Naruto owned. His dad had been a filthy rich businessman who'd left everything he'd owned to his only child.

Kiba seasoned the meat, shaped them into huge burgers and set them to cook on a low fire in a pan. He began chopping the peppers.

Naruto went to his bathroom, performed his daily grooming habits and came back feeling more human. The eerie quality of his dream left him to be replaced by his usual clear-headed thoughts. He watched as his old friend served them four medium rare burgers each on huge Kaiser rolls. The burgers were topped with the sautéed peppers, mushrooms and scallions. They dug in.

"Mmmffhh," Naruto groaned, rolling his eyes. "Fucking delicious as always, Kiba."

Kiba worked a huge mouthful around till he could speak. "Should learn how to cook."

"Have a chef for that."

"Don't see him around here," Kiba replied.

"Well he came and put food in the place. Sent him and the rest of my household staff on vacation while I do this case."

Idiot, Kiba thought. Naruto would live off the hundreds of cups of instant ramen he'd seen in the cabinets unless someone cooked for him. They ate in silence for awhile, Kiba throwing Akamaru occasional morsels of food that the dog caught with delicate precision from the air.

-oOo-

Stuffed, both men made their way to Naruto's large terrace. It gave Kiba twisty feelings in his stomach to see the city spread out before him from 25 stories up. He sat quickly in one of the plush armchairs dotting the terrace. Naruto took the chair opposite him.

"All right," the blond said as he tucked one leg under himself. The wind blew his hair around his head. "Let's have a little sitrep."

"Shoot," Kiba nodded.

"Uchiha Itachi, though not the oldest member, is the head of his family. Said family is distributed all over the world, most of them in one form of crime or another. Itachi is one of the main suppliers of meth and other drugs for Japan. He's decided to take up residence in Konoha and peddle his shit to the youth there. Why, we don't know yet. He's evaded police and jail by bribing judges and other officials. The chief of police in your own department is in his pocket. You're working the case without his knowledge, brought me in also without his knowledge." Naruto paused here to look quizzically at his partner. "I know cops have seen me down at central. They probably told the chief I'm here. Don't you think he'll figure it out?"

Kiba shook his head shortly. "Told them you're in town trying to get back with Hana. And I don't keep the files on this case on my computer there, so even if he decided to jack my hard drive-"

Naruto's voice lowered dangerously. "You. Did. What? _Hana?_ "

Kiba tensed. He topped Naruto's five-foot-eight frame by a good six inches, outweighed him by at least fifty pounds, but he was very aware just then that he'd never been able to beat his friend in hand to hand combat. "I had to tell them something they would believe, man! They bought it, too."

Naruto stared hard at Kiba. Things had ended badly between him and Hana. He never wanted to see the cheating bitch again. "That wouldn't explain my presence at headquarters."

Kiba looked aside. "I, uh. I might have told them you need to come by every now and then to get my help planning the wedding."

Akamaru barked angrily at the way Naruto stomped repeatedly on Kiba's curled up body as it huddled on the terrace floor. Kiba hadn't told the dog to attack, though, so he held his position. He whined in shared misery as Kiba finally picked himself up and dragged his ass back to his chair. Naruto stood fuming by the railing, looking out over the city.

"As I was saying," Naruto said as if nothing had happened. "There are a few judges Itachi hasn't been able to buy off. Nailing him will require us presenting irrefutable proof of his activities to these judges. That's about where we stand right now, correct?"

Kiba winced as he felt a few ribs. "Yeah. You going back there tonight to try and get the proof?"

Naruto's anger had blown over as quickly as it had come. Grudges were foreign to him. "Yeah. And…there's something I need to tell you. About last night. I wasn't completely honest with you."

Kiba listened with a barely suppressed grin as Naruto told about what he'd seen and being kissed. "So they fuck each other? Incest. Gross."

Naruto didn't reply to that, staring off into the distance with a thoughtful look on his face. "Kiba…"

"What."

"Do you think it's possible to know someone you've never met?"

"You mean like reincarnation?"

Naruto turned to look at him. "Reincarnation?"

Kiba leaned forward in his chair. "Yeah. Being reborn into a different body each time you die, over and over."

Naruto thought of his dream. Of kissing Sasuke and knowing beyond a doubt that he'd kissed him before. "Different bodies? What about being born into the same body? And do people remember these past lives?"

Kiba whistled for Akamaru to come to him, rubbed the dog behind his ears as he considered. "Not usually, no. People don't get reborn into the same bodies, either."

"What if you remember being with somebody you've never met before? What does that mean?"

"Sounds like a soul mate, not reincarnation. Soul mates are drawn to each other again and again throughout time."

"You really believe in that stuff, huh?"

Kiba shrugged. Naruto decided it was too weird and pushed it from his mind.

"Hey, look what I picked up in a used bookstore on my way over here," Kiba said. He dug into one of his baggy pockets and withdrew a battered volume with the cover ripped off.

"What's that?"

"Book of gay lingo. I looked up chicken snatchitori. Means sex with an inexperienced guy or a virgin." Kiba laughed.

Naruto saw how it related to Itachi's preferences. "That gives me an idea. If I'm going to go back there, I'm going to need a reason that Itachi will think is valid."

"You did kiss his brother…how was it, by the way?"

Naruto swallowed, unable to stop his face from turning red. Kiba, observant as ever, threw his head back and screamed laughter. "Well, there's your reason right there," he gasped. "Just act like you're really into Sasuke."

"Yeah, that was the idea I had. It's just…I'll have to take it pretty far, because I don't think proof of what they're doing is going to be enough to bring them down. I think I need to go after whoever Itachi's supplier is, and to do that I need to really infiltrate their lives. And to do _that_ I'm going to have to act gay."

Kiba flipped the pages of the book, located a word he'd seen in passing when looking up chicken snatchitori. "So there's a chance you may lose your behymen?"

Naruto frowned. "My _what_?"

"Your anal virginity," Kiba enunciated.

"I hate you."

"Wait, wait, it gets better. I happened to look up bonobo, too." Kiba turned a few pages, nearly crying with mirth. "A bonobo is a monkey that has sex, like, every hour. Judging by how you said the word was used, I'd say you were being invited to participate in a," Kiba flipped a few more pages. "Clutter fuck of some kind." He was doubled over the book, choking on his hysterical sobs of laughter.

Naruto sneered in disgust. "You been studying that thing?"

Kiba held up the book. "Best read I've come across in ages."

"Whatever. Does it have tips on how to act gay?"

"It's a dictionary, you moron."

"Well, what am I supposed to do then?" Naruto got up and paced in frustration. "I can't convince Sasuke I'm really interested in him if I don't know what to do."

"Just bend over and spread your ass cheeks."

"I'm serious."

Kiba got up too. "What kind of things would you need to know?"

"I don't know. Like…what attracts a guy to another guy? I know for me, when I'm looking at a chic, I notice her tits first. Then her hair and face. Then the legs. Do guys look at those things on other guys? What do they think is attractive? What makes gay men hard?" Naruto looked over at Kiba with consideration, "You think I'm hot?"

Kiba sobered up quickly. "I know women think you're hot, with that tight little body and your golden boy looks."

"But women are attracted to you, too. They like all those muscles you have and your aggression." Naruto walked over to Kiba, tilted his head. "Take your shirt off."

"What? Why?"

"I want to see if I can picture myself being attracted to you."

"I'll be seeing you later," Kiba said as he turned for the terrace doors. "Let me know when you want to hit the club again." Akamaru was already padding after him.

Naruto snagged Kiba's collar and yanked him backward with a good deal more strength than he looked to possess. Kiba went sprawling in one of the armchairs and Naruto landed on top of him before he could move. Akamaru woofed in concern.

Kiba did not like having Naruto straddle his lap. Wrong on so many levels. He hunched his shoulders as Naruto hooked a hand in the buttons of his shirt and tugged sharply. The shirt ripped open. "Fuck! Naruto, what are you doing?!"

"You're my partner. You're supposed to be working this case with my help, not the other way around, so the least you can do is help me with a little rehearsal."

Kiba flinched as one strong palm was placed on his nipple. "Re-rehearsal? Jesus, I'm not helping you act gay! Get off of me!" Kiba started to dump Naruto on his ass, but the blonde's lips were suddenly on his.

They froze. About five seconds passed.

Then they leapt apart, gagging and retching with revulsion. Kiba actually vomited in his mouth a little. He spat it over the edge of the terrace. He turned to Naruto with murder in his eyes, his hand on the department-issued weapon he had in a holster under his jacket. "If you _ever_ do that again-"

Naruto held up one hand as he struggled to hold down his burgers. "Please, don't bother. That was singularly unpleasant. Never to be repeated." His voice quavered. "I can't do this. I'm not going to be able to convince him that I'm interested."

Kiba was getting himself under control, the shudders racking his body dying away. "Even though the kiss was…?"

Naruto looked away. "I don't know what it was, but sex is out of the question."

Kiba nodded in thought. "How committed are you to taking these two down?"

"A hundred percent."

"Well, then you might have to go ahead and sample the meth."

Naruto had come to the same conclusion. The thought of putting that stuff in his body did not sit well. "I think you're right."

"You know I'll help you with any…side effects of this case, Naruto, right?"

Kiba was talking about Naruto becoming addicted. "I know, man. But I also know myself. I won't let it become an addiction."

"I know you have exceptionally strong willpower and a weird metabolism, but not even you can withstand strong drugs, Naruto."

"Well, I intend to try."

Kiba nodded. "Itachi's probably wondering why you didn't take any last night. Think he's searching you out on the net yet?"

Naruto grinned. "Hell yeah. No worries there, though. My people are the best."

-oOo-

They discussed their strategy a while longer. The idea of using cams and wires was discarded. They needed hard copies of Itachi's files to begin searching for his supplier. "Plus, I can fuck up his financials," Naruto said.

They agreed to meet at ten that night. Naruto dressed in a t-shirt, jeans and a pair of flip-flops Kiba new had cost almost five-hundred American dollars. "What kind of sandals did you say those were again?" he asked as they slid into Naruto's black Maserati MC12.

"PechePlatinum."

"Oh. Right. Ever think of wearing, say, regular flip-flops?"

Naruto looked at him oddly as he pressed the ignition button. "These are regular." He put on a pair of dark D&G metal sunglasses.

Kiba hung on to Akamaru as the racing car sped off from the curb.

* * *

Sasuke got down to the club early, wanting to see when Naruto showed up, if he showed at all. He'd been lounging at the bar since seven when something made him look towards the entrance. It was going on eleven, the club jumping with patrons as usual, but all the noise and bodies seemed to fall away.

There he was.

Wine-colored dress shirt, charcoal dress pants. A few inches of tanned chest visible through the undone buttons of the shirt. Hair a sexy mess that Sasuke knew was achieved with liberal amounts of gel. How did one so young dress so well? Sasuke slid off his stool and slinked toward where Naruto was scanning the crowd nervously.

"You came back," Sasuke whispered huskily.

"Yeah, I did." Naruto took in the red leather shorts, the oiled white skin. Same choker.

Sasuke, mindful of Itachi's words, said "Why? Was it the beer?"

"Ahaha. I was pretty greedy last night. Uh, no. Actually…I…"

Naruto faltered. It sounded so incredibly lame saying he wanted to try the meth. Besides, he was finally looking at Sasuke, really looking directly at him instead of at his clothes. Those dark eyes made him forget what he was going to say so that he blurted, "I wanted to see you again." _No!_ he thought in consternation. _No, I'm not going the gay route!_ _Gimme the meth! The meth!_

"What a coincidence," Sasuke smiled. "I wanted to see you, too. Come, let's go upstairs."

"But…but…" Naruto was taken by the hand and led through the crowd.

-oOo-

He was interested to note that Sasuke's eyes passed the retinal scan as well. Then he was being pulled inside and Sasuke pressed him against the steel door as soon as it was closed. His lips placed kisses all along Naruto's throat, up and down the side of his neck. "All I did was think about you," Sasuke hissed.

Naruto's eyelids were growing heavy, drooping as desire rose up in him in a way it never had. _Dammit, I'm not letting this happen! I-_

He grabbed Sasuke by a fistful of his inky hair and reversed their positions. His fingers dug bruisingly into Sasuke's jaw, forcing his mouth open as he plundered those depths with his tongue. Sasuke sagged, moaned, keened as Naruto caught him by the ass and held him up.

The kiss was brutal. "Mmm," Naruto groaned hungrily. "Mmmm."

Sasuke trembled in a veritable gale of passion, Naruto's hands grabbed at him everywhere in a very inexperienced way, but there was nothing inexperienced about his mouth. It hurt him with its insistence and Sasuke welcomed the pain.

Naruto couldn't get enough. _This is who I'm supposed to be kissing for the rest of my life. He's who I belong with, oh god._ Sasuke's slim legs wrapped around his waist and then they were sliding to the floor, Sasuke sitting in his lap, taking one of Naruto's hands and guiding it to his unzipped shorts.

The blond pulled back from the kiss at feeling the organ in his hand. He looked back and forth between it and Sasuke's face as he panted. He licked his sore lips. "I…don't know if we should do this."

Sasuke understood. "Your first time?"

Naruto nodded reluctantly, but it was more than that, much more…he just couldn't seem to remember right now. The taste of Sasuke had clouded his mind.

"Don't worry. I'll show you what to do."

Then Sasuke was kissing him again. Naruto's last thought before all was lost in the red haze of passion was that he was in deep shit.

Kiba would have a field day.

* * *

In a room only he had access to, Itachi watched on a monitor as Sasuke leaned over Naruto and began undressing him.


	3. Chapter 3

 Itachi was not happy. Not at all. In fact, Itachi could not remember the last time he'd been so incensed.

The day started off with a report from his computer guys. They actually had a more technical name for what they did, but since Itachi was not computer literate he just called them computer guys and what they did computer stuff. Their report was printed and bound and left on his desk when he woke up. He'd read it eagerly.

Name: Uzumaki Naruto

Age: 17

Occupation: senior in high school.

There was a lot of other information about his childhood, his parents, where he lived. Itachi recognized the address as a pricey high-rise in the next town over. He had some property in that town himself, so he knew the apartments in that particular building went for several million. The parents were listed as wealthy merchants.

Itachi had nearly drooled on the report. So young. So rich. He had to claim him. Yet there still remained the unanswered question of why he'd been in the club last night at all. Whatever the reason, he'd been sure the kid wouldn't be back, not after the way he'd run out. Yet here he was and it was obvious the reason was his own brother.

That wouldn't do.

Worse, Itachi's guards had discovered the security men he'd sent to deal with that thug stuffed in a dumpster behind the club. The barrels of their guns had all been shoved up their asses and several bones had been broken. Money had needed to grease the palms of several patrons before Itachi found one that dimly remembered seeing the thug get into a car with a blond man who'd had on an expensive suit. No doubt the same blond his brother was so enthusiastically kissing on the screen. Which meant Naruto was not who he said he was, might even be a fed sent to spy on him. Probably _was_ a fed.

So yeah. He wasn't happy.

Still, that didn't mean all was a complete loss. Itachi meant to have him and he would. Then he would destroy him as he'd destroyed so many others who'd tried to stop him.

Itachi watched what was happening on the screen with a calculated look in his dark eyes. He reached for his phone.

* * *

Naruto summoned the last of his senses before they were all completely gone and managed to roll so Sasuke was beneath him. He lifted his head from the searing kiss and drew breath as if he'd been drowning. He had to think. He wasn't supposed to be doing this.

Sasuke whined, ran his hand over Naruto's bare chest. Naruto caught the hand, noticing how his shirt was barely hanging on his arms. "No, wait…Sasuke, I can't."

"I said I'd help you," Sasuke said huskily. "And if you ask me, you don't need any help. You're a natural at this."

That got Naruto's attention like a glass of ice water thrown in his face. He got up quickly, backing away from Sasuke as he tried to button his shirt. He looked at Sasuke sitting up with horror in his blue eyes. "No, I'm not. I've never done this before and …I'm not sure I want to do it now."

"You said you came here to see me." Sasuke was now standing. Naruto was shocked to see that he was naked. When had that happened?

"I did," Naruto lied. He paused…maybe he hadn't expressly come here for Sasuke, but he was definitely the reason he was here now. That reminded him…he looked around as he asked, "Where's your brother?"

"I don't know. Somewhere. Look, if you're nervous about it we can go slowly. I just…I'm really attracted to you. And I can tell you're into me too."

Well, there it was. Naruto cursed inwardly. Fuck it. He'd go with the Sasuke angle and be damned to how real it was or how contrived. He'd never wanted to resort to using the meth anyway. He zipped his pants and tucked the hem of his shirt in as he wondered how much of the truth he should reveal. Some, but not all, he decided.

"Yeah. I am attracted to you, Sasuke. But I've never been attracted to a guy before. I'm straight. This…this is all pretty confusing."

Sasuke's brow cleared. A sunny smile lit his features as he slinked toward Naruto. _Damn. I'll need sunglasses to look at that smile,_ Naruto thought. Sasuke's face was transformed from pouty indifference to devastating beauty. Naruto's heart gave a painful lurch. _I think I'm in trouble._

"Well, now," Sasuke purred. He walked up to Naruto and leaned against him, cocking one leg behind him. "That's fascinating. To think that I could turn a straight man gay…that's a powerful thought."

Those lashes were way too long, Naruto thought. He swallowed, blinked, gathered his thoughts. "I'd like to take things slow, if you don't mind."

"I don't mind. I like it slow."

"It's just…I need time to adjust to this whole thing."

"One should always take a moment to adjust when it's their first time."

"Yeah. Right. So, you'll back off? You know, not jump me?"

Sasuke issued a sound that had Naruto's cock at attention in the space of a second. It sounded like a cross between a giggle and a hum of appreciation. Naruto realized it was the guy's laugh. "Sure, stud. I'll treat you gently." He nipped Naruto's lips playfully.

Naruto turned his head away. "How old are you?"

"Twenty-two." He continued nuzzling Naruto's jaw.

Seven years younger than I am, Naruto thought. He eased Sasuke away from him. It was disgusting how badly he wanted to devour Sasuke's pretty mouth. He forced himself to think. "I'd like to see you outside of this club."

Sasuke's eyes lit with pleasure. "A date? I accept."

Naruto started to protest, but remembered that he was supposed to be conning this guy into believing he was interested in him. Which he was. Christ. "Yeah, I guess you could call it that. How about tomorrow?"

"Wonderful. I don't wake up before 5 pm, though."

"Fine. Pick you up at 8?"

"I'll be waiting."

They stood staring at each other for awhile, smiles fading, both aware of how serious things were between them despite meeting only yesterday. It left Sasuke feeling buzzed and Naruto feeling as if he were trying to maintain his balance during a massive earthquake.

Eventually Naruto recalled that they'd successfully negotiated plans for a date. "Good," he said. He figured he'd made decent headway with the whole infiltration agenda. He could now leave and rendezvous with Kiba. He turned for the steel door.

"Are you leaving?" Sasuke asked. "You just got here. Since we're dating and all, why don't you stay awhile? We could go downstairs and watch the action…" He pulled on his shorts with a little wiggle of his hips as he spoke.

"No…I should go," Naruto hedged. He was very afraid that if he didn't get out of there soon he'd start kissing Sasuke again. The guy's presence called to every atom in his body and he just didn't know how to deal with it.

"You're never going to feel comfortable with your new sexuality if you don't take the time to explore it," Sasuke said as he leaned down for the retinal scan. "Part of exploring is hanging around gay people. By which I mean me, of course, but you can observe things down in the club, too. Come on, we can both have a drink."

It made sense. Naruto reluctantly agreed to kill another hour before he left for the night. Much to his embarrassment, Sasuke hung on to his arm as they descended the spiral staircase. Naturally, every eye in the club noticed. Naruto grit his teeth, aware that Sasuke was deliberately telling everyone that Naruto was off limits. By the time they'd reached the floor, everyone had turned back to what they were previously doing.

-oOo-

If anything the club was rowdier than when he'd come upstairs, the blond noted. He saw a wide variety of sexual acts taking place along walls, on the dance floor, on tables. The outfits he saw worn were so outlandish that he found himself staring. Feathers abounded, as did spandex. There was skin everywhere. He turned to Sasuke as he took a seat at the bar. "I don't remember it being like this last night. I feel overdressed."

Sasuke handed Naruto a drink from the bartender. "Friday night. Always gets a little crazy." He sipped delicately, batting his lashes at Naruto. "Tell me about yourself, Naruto. Do you live in town?"

Naruto went through his false life history. His parents were successful merchants. He was an only child, currently flunking all his math courses in school. His dad expected him to go into the family business once he graduated. He liked ramen and most extreme sports. Sometimes he was called Kit by close friends.

"Kit?" Sasuke asked.

"Yeah…you know, because of the weird facial hair. Had it since I was born." Naruto waved one hand absently at his face.

Sasuke frowned, staring at the odd whisker-like hairs on Naruto's cheeks. Then he understood. Kit. Kitsune. They _did_ look like fox whiskers a bit. "I knew you were young, but I didn't know you were that young. High school, huh? You seem a lot older."

"Oh?" Naruto took a nervous sip of his drink. He rolled the liquid in his mouth. Bourbon.

"Yes. Maybe it's the way you dress. You don't dress like a teenager, even a wealthy teenager."

Naruto made a note to find out what the youth were wearing today and amend his wardrobe accordingly. For now, he came up with another lie. "My dad says one should look professional at all times."

Sasuke smiled. "I like the name Kit better than Naruto. Mind if I call you that sometimes?"

"Not at all."

It was Sasuke's turn to give his history. Naruto had certain blanks in his data on the Uchihas filled in. He'd thought both brothers were into the drug smuggling and other shit, but it was mainly Itachi. Sasuke hadn't even come on the scene until seven years ago. Their parents had died and Itachi was left looking after his brother. Sasuke acceded to his brother's wishes in most things, but refused to use drugs. "It messes with your looks," he said vainly. "I like my looks."

"I like your looks, too," Naruto said before he thought. Sasuke colored in pleasure, scrunched his shoulders as if delighted. Naruto was embarrassed but went on to seek clarification on a few points. "So your brother forces you to have sex with him?"

Sasuke stopped smiling, turned on his stool to look at the patrons of the club. "Nah, not really. Not anymore, anyway. When I first came to live with him, he had to…convince me, but after awhile you get used to it. Sometimes it was even good. Really good. Now it's just boring like most everything else."

"Convince you?" Naruto's voice had dropped to a lower register but Sasuke didn't seem to notice.

"He gets violent sometimes, especially if he's off his happy pills for any length of time. But like I said, that was all before."

Naruto was stunned to realize that Sasuke saw nothing wrong with his incestuous relationship. He was having a hard time wrapping his mind around such a lifestyle.

"You're old enough to live alone. Why are you still with him?"

Sasuke shrugged as he watched two twinks sucking face. "It's a harsh world out there. My brother takes good care of me. I'm safe here."

_I'll bet you are,_ Naruto thought with sudden, inexplicable fury. _Itachi's done a good job making you believe he's the only protection you have. How many times has he threatened you, Sasuke? Did he say he'd kill you if you left? I don't doubt it. I don't doubt it at all._ The tale Sasuke told was of a controlling older brother who was quite literally insane. Probably a result of the drugs he took. Meth was only the latest in a long string of substances. But Sasuke seemed to interpret his brother's actions as those done out of love.

Naruto finished his drink and stood up. "I have to go now, but I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Okay," Sasuke stood as well. Naruto marveled at how the simple act of getting off a bar stool could be made to look like an intricate dance move. Sasuke came up to him and ran a hand down his chest. "I'll be thinking of you," he whispered. He sucked Naruto's bottom lip leisurely for a moment. Then he released him and Naruto hurried to get out of there before his erection was noticed.

* * *

The beat up brown Honda he and Kiba used for this case was parked three blocks away. He walked briskly to it, feeling strange of a sudden. He felt as if his skin were tingling.

Once in the car, he drove with his usual speed to an underground garage a few miles away where he had his Maserati stashed. He wasn't using the MC12 tonight. He had the GranTurismo instead. He got in and sat for a few minutes. He wasn't feeling well. His head was swimming. _Oh God,_ Naruto thought. _The bourbon._ Itachi must have had him drugged. Son of a bitch! Naruto leaned his head back and tried to think.

He'd of course noticed the unmarked sedan tailing him when he'd gotten in the Honda. He knew they had to be Itachi's men. He hadn't been worried. He'd planned to leave them in his dust with the Maserati. Now that was all changed. Depending on what he'd been drugged with, he could lose consciousness at any moment. He'd be unfit to drive. He might run himself off the road, at which point he'd be easy pickings for Itachi's men, if he even survived at all.

The garage was dark, perhaps one or two cars other than his own. The neighborhood was mostly commercial, so just about every thing was closed. All was quiet. There'd be no witnesses should things go south.

Headlights loomed in Naruto's rear view mirror. His pursuers, perhaps thinking the drugs had taken effect sooner than expected, were coming to investigate. Naruto had lingered too long. Disturbed to see how lightheaded he was, the blond reached under the passenger seat to where he'd stashed his Super-Shorty. He had to stop and lean his head on the dash as a debilitating wave of nausea had him gritting his teeth. He concentrated on his breathing, ignored the way black dots were appearing in his vision. He chambered a round, opened his door and put one foot on the concrete of the garage floor. He leaned on the door and took slow aim.

The sedan was moving slowly, cautiously. They had one corner to turn and then their headlights would fall directly on where Naruto sat fighting to remain conscious.

The car eased into view. Naruto steadied his hand, squinting against the glare of the lights as he fired. The sound and flash were titanic in the confined space of the garage. The windshield of the oncoming sedan exploded. Naruto caught sight of a brief spray of red before the sedan was suddenly screeching, zooming towards him as the driver's foot pressed on the accelerator in his death throes.

Naruto rolled into his car and closed the door as the sedan swerved, missing the Maserati by less than a foot. It barreled headlong into the wall with a thunderous crash. Naruto saw the back end jerk upward before thumping back down. He sighed in relief. They wouldn't be bothering him now and maybe he could-

The rear door on the sedan creaked open. A bruised and bloody hulk of a man fell out. Naruto thought he might be dead, but the man turned over and pointed a gun directly at Naruto's staring face. Naruto dove to the passenger side of his car and out that door as the driver's side window exploded. He rolled on the chilly pavement. When he came to rest on his hands and knees, he was distraught to discover himself temporarily blind.

Naruto's vision cleared slowly. Whatever had been in his drink was coursing through his system faster with his elevated heart rate. His limbs all felt shaky and rubbery and breathing was becoming difficult. It felt like he was trying to draw syrup into his lungs instead of air. He looked around for his weapon. He had two more rounds in the thing. His vision wanted to fade again, everything was gray and fuzzy.

He spotted the Super-Shorty on the floor about ten feet away just as the one who'd shot at him staggered around the back of his Maserati. He had his gun held stiffly in front of him and Naruto could see that it was a 50 caliber joint. What the fuck?! Fifty cal hardware for a simple tailing job?

"You're…you're coming with me," the man mumbled. He coughed up blood and Naruto could see he was injured. Blood covered the front of his white t-shirt, under his black dress jacket.

Naruto's only chance to survive at that point was to agree. He nodded, then choked as vomit and blood came spraying out of his nose. His arms lost the strength to hold him up and he collapsed in his own mess as the guy walked toward him. Naruto held onto his consciousness with the sheer brute force of his will. The guy bent with a stifled groan of pain and hooked his meaty fingers into Naruto's collar, intending to drag him to the Maserati. He heard the man stowing his weapon in a holster as Naruto's weight forced him to use both hands. He got Naruto slung over one broad shoulder.

Naruto's head was hanging upside down, a position that had him briefly blacking out again. By the time he regained consciousness, he was laid out in the backseat of his car, his legs folded to accommodate the cramped space. The guy was just starting to close the door. Naruto estimated that he'd been out for ten, maybe twenty-seconds. The man was speaking into his phone as he checked his side with a hand. The hand came away bloody.

"I got him, boss. He fucked us up bad. Ken and Renji are dead and I'm hit. Dunno if I can drive. Send back up-"

The door the man was closing crashed open as Naruto slammed his feet into it. The man staggered backward, the phone clattering with a muffled _bloop_ of broken machinery to the pavement. When the man looked around, it was to find a tanned fist coming in for an introduction to his face. The introduction was made and the man noted fleetingly that the fist felt like granite before the bone fragments from his shattered nose went zinging into his brain. He dropped like a load of bricks beside his phone.

That was pretty much all Naruto had in him. He fell beside the guy and just managed to shield his face from smacking the hard floor with a forearm. "Uuuuuhhhhhhhgkkkhh" he moaned. An agony of burning fire erupted in Naruto's stomach region and he could feel himself close to losing consciousness again. Blood leaked steadily from his nose. He spotted the man's phone, in pieces, a few feet from his head. He was suddenly reminded of his own phone and what it represented.

Help. More specifically, Kiba.

The act of turning over onto his back took precious time and strength he didn't have but Naruto managed. He groped around his pockets with a hand that felt as if it weighed a ton. His nerveless fingers closed on his Blackberry. Thank God for speed dial.

* * *

"Yello," Kiba drawled. He was at central, in his cubicle, happily planting wheat on his newly expanded farm. Naruto said he'd meet him here when he was done and give him an update. Akamaru sat beside his chair, watching the avatar plant squares as Kiba clicked away.

"Kiba?"

Kiba sat forward. "Naruto? Jesus, you sound like-"

"I'm down, Kiba. Fucker Itachi…get to the garage I told you about-" Kiba winced as he heard Naruto throwing up. "Get over here, quick. I'm slipping and the bastard called for backup. They'll be here …in…"

That was all. Kiba heard the phone fall as if dropped from suddenly dead fingers. "Naruto! NARUTO!" Nothing. Naruto was gone, dead or passed out and more were coming to finish the job. Jesus, his best friend was down and he was a good twenty miles away.

Kiba shot out of his chair and down the stairs to the first floor. The elevator was notoriously slow and time was of the essence. Akamaru pounded at his heels, silent and alert to his master's grim anxiety.

"Kiba?" It was Shino. He was just coming in to work his night shift. He sidestepped as Kiba ran past on his way to his truck. Kiba didn't answer. Sensing trouble, Shino jogged after him.

He was in time to see Kiba loading a submachine gun. "Kiba, what's wrong? What case are you working-"

"I gotta go, Shino." Kiba hopped nimbly behind the wheel. Akamaru had already jumped in and was sitting in the passenger seat. After a brief hesitation, Shino climbed in as well, shoving Akamaru aside so that the big dog was forced to move to the backseat. His tail beat briefly against the side of Shino's head as he did. Kiba looked questioningly at Shino.

"I don't know what the situation is but it looks like you might need assistance," Shino said in his calm way. He pulled a Kel-tech 2000 from under his trench coat and unfolded it. Kiba didn't have time to argue and Shino was a steady man, a good ally to have when the shit was hitting the fan.

The green FJ Cruiser pulled away from the curb with a squeal of tires.

* * *

Naruto wasn't dead. He'd passed out again. When he came to this time, he wished he was dead, though. So much pain. He had to be dying. From where he lay he could see his Super-Shorty. In the distance he could hear tires screeching through a skid. He knew it had to be more of Itachi's men. Kiba couldn't have possibly gotten to him so fast. Calling on the determination that had always stood him in good stead, he began trying to make his way towards his weapon.

This new batch were from Itachi's personal guards. They were a good deal more wary and experienced. They parked the car outside the garage and made their way inside on foot, holding their automatic weapons at the ready. Their fingers were on the triggers and they intended to shoot anything that moved. They had their orders.

"There," one of them pointed with a slight lift of his chin. The other three looked where he was indicating. A blond man lay face down by a fancy silver Maserati. They advanced toward him in a crouch, fingers pressing the triggers on their weapons ever so slightly; they were taking no chances. They were almost on top of him when the blond suddenly rolled over and pointed his pistol grip shotgun right in their faces. His eyes were a merciless blue in the faint light. The men were too close to do anything but scatter and scatter they did.

Naruto had one brief thought, _not enough ammo, damn,_ and then he was firing as they dove for cover.

* * *

Kiba drove like a demon, pushing the needle of his speedometer all the way to the right. Akamaru hunkered in the back seat and whined. Shino merely checked his gun; this amount of speed must surely mean big trouble indeed. He wanted to be ready.

They were still five blocks from the garage when they heard the gunfire. Kiba swore bitterly and coaxed another drop of speed from his truck. Shino adjusted the shades he wore day and night. They skidded to a halt in front of the garage in time to see three large men loading Naruto's limp body into a black Suburban. The men spotted Kiba and Shino, turned and opened fire on the Cruiser.


End file.
